How to Prepare for Interviews Using the STAR Method
You wouldn't have to spend hours practicing and answering interview questions in a perfect world. But unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. So, what's the ideal answer to an employment interview question? Taking your experiences and skills and putting them into a dynamic short story is more complicated than you may think. Your answers should be about two minutes long and show progress and actions, not simply a list of things you have done. This is where the STAR format comes into play.
What is the STAR method?
You may have heard about this method when preparing your resume, but the STAR method gives you a format efficiently used to answer any questions.
S – Situation
T – Task
A – Action
R – Results
Using this method, you can share experiences in an easy-to-follow and easy-to-understand way. Explain the situation and your role, followed by what you did to address it and the results.
What types of questions can you use STAR answers for?
STAR answers work best for behavioral questions that lead you to tell a story or share an example. You'll be able to identify these quickly; they start with these phrases:
Tell me about a time when you …
Have you ever…
Describe a situation where you …
What do you do when …
When asked a question like this, you'll need to quickly think of a scenario that fits the question and then start sharing the details. With the STAR framework, you already know the order in which it should be and the specifics you want to answer.
Tips for Preparing STAR Answers in Advance
One great way to prepare for using STAR answers in interviews is to practice answering questions. You can find a list of common interview questions online and write out some answers to them, working in the situations you want to highlight. Here are some more tips.
Review the job description.
The job description you are applying for has lots of information the employer is asking for. Look at the skills and qualifications and consider the questions they'll ask to learn more. For example, if you are interviewing for a managerial position, you'll want to prepare an answer on how you have dealt with a personnel issue or conflict.
Find some answers that could work for any question.
As you won't know the questions ahead of time, you won't be able to prepare for all of them in advance, but you may have a few generic answers ready that you can pop some details in. You could prepare some responses about a challenge you've had with leadership or working remotely on a team in advance.
Practice your answers.
A mock or practice interview is always a good idea. Gather some common behavioral questions from the internet or friends and have someone ask them. Then you can practice answering them, allowing you to perfect the STAR method, increase your comfort level with answering questions and give you a boost when that same question comes up in your interview.
Take a breath before answering.
A few seconds of silence feels like a lifetime when you're gathering your thoughts. However, it isn't that long for others. When asked a question, take a breath and sort through your thoughts. Then, take another breath and start giving your answer. Don't feel like you need to rush through an answer.
Interviews can be daunting, but with a bit of research and some practice, you'll be able to use this STAR method for answering questions about anything.
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